USAREC Leaders Conference
Keynote Address
(3,512 words)
San Antonio, TX
28 Oct 08
As delivered
MG Bostick, thank you for your kind words and generous introduction. From the time you entered West Point in 1974, you've served our nation with distinction - from command at the battalion and brigade level to your present duty as Commanding General of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command.
Thank you for your more than 30 years of service to our Nation. Your career is a model of honored service to our Army and our Nation.
I'd also like to recognize your deputy, Brigadier General Joseph Anderson - former commander of the 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne in Operation Iraqi Freedom. General Anderson, thank you for your service to our Nation.
Brigadier General Clara Leach Adams-Ender also is here with us today, and I wish I was going to be here to hear her speech. Your career has been one of my firsts. Your 32 years of active duty service, and your continued commitment to our Army -- you are example for all of us to follow. Thank you for your service.
We have several of our Civilian Aides from around the country in attendance today. I never pass up an opportunity to thank them for their exceptional service. Thank you for your support to Soldiers and Army families. Your efforts in support of recruiting are invaluable - thanks for joining us for this recruiting summit.
And I'd also like to recognize the spouses - I hear there about more than 60 here today. I'd like to ask all the spouses to stand.
(Applause)
Thank you for being a critical part of the Army family - a critical part of service to our Army.
General Bostick, later today you will recognize Recruiting Command's "Best of the Best." Let me add my congratulations a little early and thank your honorees for their extraordinary efforts to keep our Army strong. Congratulations.
And all of you here today - the leaders of Army recruiting -- thank you for all you have done and continue to do for our Army. It's not an exaggeration to say that without you and the Soldiers you lead at recruiting stations across the country, we would not have the Army we have today - the best-led, best-trained, best-equipped Army the world has ever seen. It all starts with you - thank you and your families for your selfless service.
You are the reason our All-Volunteer Force - our national treasure - remains strong and capable today. Thank you for all you do.
During the last fiscal year, Army recruiters faced daunting challenges - a tough recruiting environment, but succeeded across all components - Active Guard, and Reserve - nearly 170,000 men and women - almost equal to the size of the Marine Corps - joined our Army in FY 2008.
The Active Army achieved 101 percent of its recruiting goal, more than 80,000 recruits - the Army Reserve, 102 percent, nearly 27,000 recruits - and the National Guard 103 percent, more than 62,000.
170,000 men and women raised their hands and said, "Send me," with our nation at war. That's a tribute to them, but it's also a tribute to you.
The National Guard's Active First program, started only a year ago with the goal of accessing 1,600 Soldiers into the Active Component, exceeded its goal - 1,604 Soldiers enlisted in the Guard, and already 478 Soldiers have enlisted under Active First for Fiscal Year 2009.
Congratulations to our team of Army recruiters - Active, Guard, and Reserve - a great job in tough times.
These are truly achievements to be proud of - especially in this recruiting environment - with our nation long at war. And considering that only three of 10 of the nation's 17-24-year-olds meet the academic, physical and moral requirements for military service. You are seeking America's best young men and women - the same ones in demand by every employer in America.
Success in this environment requires personal commitment from every recruiter - and your families - long hours, travel and time away from your families. Your schedules have to match the schedules of young people - and that means early mornings, nights and weekends away from your own children.
It is an assignment with constant pressure to make your monthly numbers - stressful and personally demanding, requiring selfless service and sacrifice - whether you're recruiting in downtown Los Angeles, or- like SSG Clint Lyons - in Elko, Nevada - the pressure to produce - the long hours never let up.
SSG Lyons joined the Army in 2003. He completed both Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Benning, Georgia, with a specialty as an infantryman.
SSG Lyons - and his wife of four years, Sunny, and their 18-month old son Cayden - currently are assigned to the Elko Recruiting Station in Nevada.
SSG Lyons' area of responsibility covers approximately 491 square miles of northeastern Nevada from Eureka - 84 miles to the south of Elko - to Ely, in the eastern part of the state, and about 188 miles to the southeast - more than a three-hour drive.
He spends a lot of time on the road away from home, like most recruiters.
His average drive time from Elko to the Military Entrance Processing Station in Boise, Idaho, is 5 hours - not including the pick up and drop off applicants.
SSG Lyons is responsible for five high schools - the nearest is 30 minutes away -- one of his largest is 3 hours from Elko and about an 8-hour drive from the Boise MEPS.
The nearest military facility - Dugway Proving Grounds, in Utah - is a six-hour drive away.
And he and Sunny and most of our recruiters do not have the Army community and support that comes from living near or on an Army post - the extended Army family that provides physical, emotional, and moral support in difficult times.
Sunny's initial adjustment to life in this rural community and to recruiting was tough. But she, like so many Army recruiter spouses, embraced the local community and represents the Army Family to potential recruits and their families.
She is a frequent visitor to the recruiting office and participates in Future Soldier Functions by contributing baked goods and volunteer time. She talks with applicants' spouses and girlfriends to help them understand the pride, joy and sacrifice of Army life - and Sunny and Clint spend as much time together as possible, even if it's just for lunch.
SSG Lyons is just one of thousands of recruiters who meet challenge after challenge to bring fine young men and women into the Army and maintain the national treasure that is our All-Volunteer Force.
And to succeed in the conflicts we face in this century, we must continue to recruit these outstanding men and women into our Army.
We ask more and more of our Soldiers today, and their jobs are increasingly complex - we need thinking, learning, adaptive Soldiers - Soldiers who can make combat, political, economic, and diplomatic judgments as a part of a day's work - mayors one moment - in close combat the next.
Thank you for what you do and congratulations for a job well done. And thanks to you, we have the Soldiers our Army needs - our Nation needs. Recruiting - there is no more important job in our Army - you fail in your job, and the Army withers - either in quantity or quality - or both.
And now I'd like to talk about some challenges that impact recruiting, but extend beyond recruiting.
Many of the challenges facing the Army in the past and present remain the challenges for our future, later verses of the same song. We will continue to pursue moving and elusive targets.
There are four I'd like to discuss with you today: 1) full-spectrum readiness for the missions our Nation expects from the Army; 2) Building an Army that is truly a Band of Brothers and Sisters; 3) strategic communications; and 4) making the expeditionary Army work for Army Families - including Army recruiters.
I will begin with full spectrum readiness, a requirement that demonstrates why we need the caliber of recruits you are bringing into the Army.
Recently, Secretary Gates told our Army:
"One of the principal challenges the Army faces is to regain its traditional edge at fighting conventional wars while retaining what it has learned - and unlearned - about unconventional wars."
In a recent article in the Atlantic Monthly, Professor Andrew Bacevich described a debate for the future of the Army as a conflict between the "Crusaders" and "Conservatives" - between the asymmetric warriors and conventional warriors.
I oversimplify, but he posed the conflict as a strategic choice for the Army - a fork in the road. We cannot choose one fork or the other. As Dr. Gates has challenged us - we must do both.
Our Nation requires us to do both - will ask us to do both.
For 233 years, the Army's charge has been to "dominate" land operations. To "dominate" is a dynamic mission, defined differently in the sands of North Africa in 1942 than in the deserts and cities of Iraq in 2008. Defined differently at the very same time but in different places. And defined differently when we consider the threat of near-peer competitors who loom over the horizon, some armed with nuclear capability.
Our Army of this century must and will be prepared to "dominate" across the full spectrum of threats - asymmetric and conventional.
We must be an Army that can "clear, hold and build" - all equally well - win the battle, win the war, win the peace, and then build a sustainable peace. Conduct offensive, defensive, and stability operations near simultaneously.
In the 21st Century, wars may not be won when the enemy's army is defeated on the field of battle. In fact, there may not be a uniformed enemy to fight at all. And instead of tanks, they may operate white Toyotas.
Today, a war may not be won until the conditions that spawned hostilities have been changed - some call it nation-building.
That is asking a lot of our Soldiers - although they may not be missions the Army has sought for itself, they are missions our nation asks of our Soldiers today and will in the future. They are missions critical to the safety and freedom of our citizens and our allies.
To dominate land operations means that our Soldiers must be trained and equipped for the full spectrum of skills that dynamic assignment requires - symmetric and asymmetric, kinetic and non-kinetic. And our Soldiers must be able to shift back and forth across the spectrum. This is why we need that high-quality recruit that you are bringing into our Army today.
In this century's conflicts, our Soldiers must dominate lethal operations, but be as proficient on a computer keyboard, debating in a village council meeting, recruiting allies among the local population, constructing irrigation systems, and training indigenous forces, as they are delivering precision artillery strikes from miles away.
We need Soldiers who speak foreign languages, understand foreign cultures and can address the plight of struggling peoples.
This makes your job harder - this has raised the bar for you - and you are getting the job done.
And today, because of the service, sacrifice and the lessons your recruits have learned and applied, we are winning this war.
We must continue to recruit smart, flexible Soldiers, not because the next war will be the same, but because it will be different. The enemy has a vote. And the next war will be different still. And our Soldiers must be able to learn and adapt.
And we need an Army culture that promotes a lifetime of learning, questioning, tough questions - and transformation that never stops. And this starts with top-flight recruits. Thanks for a job well-done.
I will shift gears and talk about the Band of Brothers and Sisters our Army must become - will become over the coming years.
As each of you know and live daily - our Army culture is different from the rest of society, our Army is different. We adhere to a code of conduct 24 - 7. We are a values-based institution. Our values are more than words; we are an organization that is grounded in the timeless values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage. These values are ingrained in our culture and sustain you even in the face of death.
There remains one outlier in our otherwise values-based Army - gender-based misconduct.
Army values are non-negotiable, and when a single Soldier fails to live up to Army values, the entire institution is weakened. In jarring contrast to the Army values and the warrior ethos that bind our Soldiers together, since 9/11, 1,800 American Soldiers have been punished for sexually assaulting a fellow Soldier. And experts estimate that only 1 in 5 sexual assaults is reported.
The rate of reported sexual assault in our Army is twice the rate of the other services. An Army at war - at war within itself - blue on blue. This cannot stand.
Recently, the Chief and I launched an initiative to erase the crimes of sexual harassment and sexual assault from our Army. We committed to eradicate sexual harassment and sexual assault from the life of our Army - and build the Band of Brothers and Sisters our values demand.
Our Army values begin with you and your recruiters. What you say and do must re-enforce and build our institution. We must emphasize that the men and women who enter our Army enter a special culture - where how you get the mission accomplished is as important as getting it done. An institution where how you treat your fellow Soldier defines who you are.
In 1948, President Truman integrated our nation's military. Prior to that time - we were not a Band of Brothers - we were a collection of bands of brothers, separated by race.
Sixty years ago, we began down the long road to end racial discrimination and root out the remnants of racism from our Army - bring our attitude, words, and deeds in line with Army values. And we succeeded.
Building on our example of integration, we are committed to eradicate sexual harassment and sexual assault from the life of our Army.
Today we are the model for color-blind opportunity in America - an Army where the only colors that matter are red, white, and blue. Truly a Band of Brothers. Living Army values will transform our Army into a Band of Brothers and Sisters - a model for our Nation.
We will succeed because of Army values.
My next point. In considering the many factors that will influence success and failure in current and future wars - and recruiting success on the home front - none is more important than the domain of strategic communications - whether you are in combat in Kandahar or recruiting in Kansas - strategic communications is critical to your success.
Let me first talk about strategic communications in the current fight.
In a speech at AUSA last year, Secretary Gates recalled a pointed question from a foreign diplomat, "How has one man in a cave managed to out-communicate the world's greatest communication society'"
He went on to say that "speed, agility, and cultural relevance are not terms that come readily to mind when discussing U.S. strategic communications."
Strategic communication as a weapon of war - is as old as war, but the proliferation of cheap and powerful technology has given that "man in a cave" a potent arsenal in the war of ideas and helped level the playing field among First and Third World combatants.
Anyone with a laptop, digital camera and a cell phone has world-wide reach that rivals and often shapes the coverage of the major networks. The enemy has learned to exploit that reach and is using their strategic communications to kill American Soldiers.
In the words of Al Qaeda's al-Zawahiri, "[M]ore than half this battle is taking place in the battlefield of the media." We must learn to "dominate" that domain as well as we operate an Abrams tank.
On the firing range, every Soldier is a safety officer. In the war of ideas - the wars of this century - everyone in the Army - officer, NCO, enlisted, and civilian - in theater - or in CONUS recruiting - every Soldier must be a strategic communications officer.
We need leaders who understand that the interaction between a single Soldier and a local citizen, good or bad, may shape the future of a neighborhood, the region, and the war. Leaders who understand that the interaction with a single football coach or a local preacher - or a single recruit - can build good will or it can poison the well for the Army in an entire community.
And we must remember that the power of images and actions dwarf the force of the written word. That a YouTube video from a barracks at Fort Bragg can undermine the public's faith in our Army and turn a mom or dad against an Army career for a son or a daughter.
And in the world of recruiting, the importance of strategic communication cannot be exaggerated. In many communities across the nation, you are the Army, the community's only contact with the Army. You are a real Soldier with a real story. Tell your story - the Army story. You are the face of the Army.
And what you do may be more important than what you say. When you live your Army values, the warrior ethos, you inspire young people to aspire to follow your path in service to our Nation.
My last point: How do we make this era of persistent conflict - this recruiting environment - work for Army Families'
In this year's State of the Union Address, President Bush acknowledged the demands on Army families in our Army at war. He told us:
"Our military families also sacrifice for America. They endure sleepless nights and the daily struggle of providing for children while a loved one is serving far from home. We have a responsibility to provide for them."
We are a nation long at war, the third longest in our Nation's history and the longest ever fought by an All Volunteer Force. And without a draft, we are in the toughest recruiting environment we have ever faced. In this seventh year of war, we are in uncharted waters, uncharted waters for our volunteer Soldiers and uncharted water for their volunteer families.
The stress on families grows with every passing month. As an Army wife told us recently, "You know what, we have combat patches too. Ours are worn on our hearts."
Just as training and equipping our Soldiers adapts to the changing threats, so must support for Army families adapt to their changed circumstances and the increasing demands, physical and emotional, of an Army so long at war - in CONUS and overseas.
Family support cannot depend solely on internal efforts. The support from outside community groups and volunteers will play an increasingly important role in the quality of life of Army Families, on post and - especially for recruiters and their families - whose lives are mostly off post. There is no substitute for neighbors helping neighbors. State and local governments play an ever-increasing role.
Most states now are offering in-state tuition for Army dependents and continuing it when a family transfers out-of-state. We are working to make this true in every state.
Twelve states have enacted the Interstate Educational Compact, benefitting Army children in their moves from state to state and from school to school.
We must push this initiative until all 50 states have signed on - not every state has a post with 10,000 Soldiers, but every state has recruiters - many with children - and the Interstate Compact helps Army Families, one child at a time.
We must renew our commitment to our volunteer families daily, and leaders at every level, officer and NCO, Soldier and civilian, must work to build an Army that works for Army Families - that recognizes the special challenges faced by Army recruiters.
We are a nation at war, with the volunteers of our Army, Soldiers and Families, carrying much of the burden for our Nation and the Free World.
Less than 1 percent of Americans wear the uniform of our Nation's military. It is the duty of the remaining 99 percent to ensure that the debt of the many to the few is paid in full.
In closing, let me thank you for being part of that 1 percent. Our Nation's debt to you grows daily.
In James Michener's novel about the Korean War, The Bridges at Toko-Ri, he writes of an officer waiting anxiously through the night for the return of planes to his aircraft carrier. As dawn is coming, he asks, 'Where do we find such men''"
In 1984, on the occasion of the 40th Anniversary of D-Day, President Reagan stood on the Normandy beach and recalled the question and answered it. "Well, we find them where we've always found them. They are the product of the freest society man has even known. They make a commitment to the military, and they make it freely, because the birthright we share as Americans is worth defending."
Where do we find them today' You find them for us. Thank you for the great work you do - in building the best-led, best-trained, and best-equipped Army in the world today - it all starts with you. Thank you.
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